Discovery BoxEzekiel 17:15-21
Context17:15 But this one from Israel’s royal family 1 rebelled against the king of Babylon 2 by sending his emissaries to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Will the one doing these things escape? Can he break the covenant and escape?
17:16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, surely in the city 3 of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke – in the middle of Babylon he will die! 17:17 Pharaoh with his great army and mighty horde will not help 4 him in battle, when siege ramps are erected and siege-walls are built to kill many people. 17:18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Take note 5 – he gave his promise 6 and did all these things – he will not escape!
17:19 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will certainly repay him 7 for despising my oath and breaking my covenant! 17:20 I will throw my net over him and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and judge him there because of the unfaithfulness he committed against me. 17:21 All the choice men 8 among his troops will die 9 by the sword and the survivors will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken!
[17:15] 1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the member of the royal family, v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:15] 2 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:17] 4 tn Heb “deal with” or “work with.”
[17:18] 5 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates being aware of or taking notice of something.
[17:18] 6 sn Heb “hand.” “Giving one’s hand” is a gesture of promise (2 Kgs 10:15).
[17:19] 7 tn Heb “place it on his head.”
[17:21] 8 tc Some manuscripts and versions read “choice men,” while most manuscripts read “fugitives”; the difference arises from the reversal, or metathesis, of two letters, מִבְרָחָיו (mivrakhyv) for מִבְחָריו (mivkharyv).
